Memories
by Foxibabz21
Summary: One-shots, involving senshi/shitennou, usagi/mamoru (mostly senshi/shitennou). Ratings will vary depending on chapter so please read author's note beforehand!
1. Ghost

AN: I do not own Sailor Moon! First and last time I say this!

This is where I will put all my one-shots and drabbles involving the senshi/shitennou and usage/mamoru! Each story will have a different rating, so please read that before venturing into the story in case you get worried about those!

This is T bordering on M because of character deaths. Nothing too graphic though, promise!

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><p><em>I keep going to the river to pray<em>

'_Cause I need something that can wash all the pain_

_And at most I'm sleeping all these demons away_

_But your ghost, the ghost of you_

_It keeps me awake _– "Ghost" by Ella Henderson

The soft crunch of the leaves beneath her feet was the only sound she heard as she walked aimlessly. It was a cold, bitter day in January. This time around she had the good sense to bundle up, unlike last time. She had wandered around, lost in thought, and only noticed the sting of the cold when someone had broken her musings, asking her if she was ok. They must have thought her insane, walking around in the snow without a coat.

She kept walking now, moving almost mechanically as her thoughts swirled around her. Her breath came out in little white puffs and she smiled bitterly. Even out here, she could get no reprieve from him. Everywhere she looked, she was reminded of him. She was surprised to feel the sting of something cold and wet on her cheeks. At first she thought it had started to snow, but when she brought her gloved hands up she saw them flecked with wetness. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized she'd been crying. The tears started flowing freely then, making her vision blurry as she trotted along. She didn't even bother wiping them away as she had no energy to bother with them.

The wind picked up then, as if gliding her a certain way, it's persistent push egging her forward. She barely felt the biting cold now, the numbness she felt inside blocking anything else out. Today had been one of those days- the harder ones where her body moved on autopilot. She had woken up around 4:20 from a nightmare that hadn't been a nightmare at all, just a horrible memory of a life before.

When the memories of the Silver Millennium began to surface for all of them (minus Minako, who had gone through it all awhile back) the emotions that came with them had been confusing. All of them had dealt with it differently. Rei had shut everyone out, saying she was busy running the shrine. Makoto had been prone to outbursts. It'd turned into a guessing game to see if she was going to burst into tears or angrily shout until her voice became too hoarse to continue. As for herself, she wasn't quite sure she hadn't gone insane. She tried throwing herself at her schoolwork, but ended up turning into a zombie. Sleepless nights had been her friend, and they still were, to some extent, even after a year had passed. As were days like today- random wanderings around town, in the bitter cold to numb herself from it all.

No one should have to relive their own death, especially at the hands of the one you once loved. She stopped abruptly, her breathing becoming uneven as the memories threatened to overwhelm her. She crouched low, closing her eyes tightly as if to ward off the pain. She felt a panic attack bubbling at the surface. But today, today she would not let it win. Taking a shaky breath, she opened her eyes slowly. Her navy blue eyes focused on a brittle leaf a few inches away. She took a bigger breath this time, gulping it in like it was her only lifeline. Her lungs complained as the cold air assaulted them, but the twisted person inside of her enjoyed it. It meant she was still alive, still breathing. She stayed like that for a little while, her breathing finally returning to normal.

She wasn't sure when she stood up, but she did. She glanced at a tree in passing, but her eyes caught on the lone leaf. The tree had been stripped of its leaves, scattered all around its base, the crisp brown ones dancing slowly with the wind. But her eyes had remained on the single green leaf, barely holding on to the branch. Leaf green eyes surrounded by strawberry blonde curls flashed in her mind. She tore her eyes away from the leaf and continued to walk.

The first memory she had of him had trickled in one day when it had begun to rain while she'd been walking to her car. She had stood their, soaking wet while her mind replayed her first encounter with the youngest shitennou. It had been her night to watch Princess Serenity. She had chased the young monarch all the way to the planet Terra, as it was known back then. Sailor Venus had warned her about the princess's flightiness and her ability to suddenly disappear but she hadn't believed it until she had seen it with her own eyes.

She had teleported into some type of rose garden, with the princess nowhere in sight. She had paused in her search from the shock of the multitude of vegetation, the feel of the soft wind, the intoxicating scents of the flowers surrounding her, and the sheer colors shocking her senses. She had studied Terra, but she hadn't believed the stories. The Moon Kingdom was beautiful in it's own right, but it was barren of all these things. The air stood still there, nothing like the breeze that tickled her skin and ruffled up her hair. White surrounded the Moon Kingdom, bleached of any color or vegetation. Mercury had been similar, but where the moon had been white from dust, stone, and lack of sustainable life outside of the Lunarians, Mercury had been covered in snow and ice. Not a lot grew in those subzero temperatures, and the things that did paled in comparison to what Terra had.

Mercury had two seasons, winter and summer. Mercury's summers melted the ice and snow, leaving a planet covered almost all in water. Her people had lived in the highest of mountains because of these two extremes. Her musings had been interrupted by a loud, grumbling noise coming from Terra's heavens. She had jumped, a small squeak escaping her lips as she uneasily glanced upwards.

"Don't be afraid, it's only thunder. Have you never heard it before?" Came a cautious, male voice to the left of her. She immediately dropped to a defensive position, studying the man in front of her. He had on a fern colored military coat with gray trimmings, gray breeches, and black boots. Billowing behind him was a port and white colored cape. A sheathed sword was visible on his left hip. His military garb, coupled with the way he held himself, meant he was an important soldier. By the looks of it, he belonged to the royal guard.

She had heard of thunder from Sailor Jupiter, whose home planet was famous for it, but she had never experienced it first hand. "Who are you?" She asked, ignoring his question all together.

His leaf green eyes danced with mirth. "If I'm not mistaken, it is you who is trespassing in the prince's private gardens. Therefore, you have no right in demanding anything." She would've been taken aback by his rude tone if not for the smile playing at his lips.

She was going to reprimand Princess Serenity if she ever caught her! Not only had she broken her mother's cardinal rule of not visiting Terra, but she'd also been running around their royalty's palace. Not wanting to start a war out of a simple misunderstanding, she eased out of her defensive position. "I'm sorry. It seems I have stumbled upon this place by mistake."

"Not likely. One doesn't simply stumble upon this place." He stood at ease, with his arms folded across his chest. He took in her appearance, his eyes resting on her exposed legs. She felt her whole face heat up. When he finally locked eyes with her again, her whole body felt flushed. "You're obviously not from here. Women tend not to wear outfits like those here. Shame, really." He grinned at her.

She narrowed her eyes at him. She wasn't sure if she could trust him. She needed to slip past him, find her princess, and get out of here before they caused any more trouble. "I seemed to have misplaced something, so I'll be on my way now." She tried moving past him but he blocked her path.

"Ah, let's not make this more difficult than it has to be. I can easily call for the guards and you'll be arrested and thrown in the dungeons. I assume that's something you wouldn't want happening." His features remained soft, but his voice held a hint of steel behind it. "I know you're one of those senshi's that protects the Lunar princess."

She tried not to show the surprise that she felt from his words. Apparently she hadn't done a good job because he smiled smugly at her. Her hands twitched as she readied her attack. He was a threat to her princess and she needed to get rid of him quickly. With a swift flick of her wrist, she sent an ice dagger towards the strawberry blonde man. He narrowly dodged her attack, landing on his butt in his haste to get away from the flying projectile.

She ignored his cries of outrage and ran, trying to put some distance between them two. She heard him giving chase and took a sharp right, hopping to get lost in the sea of flowers. She turned around to see if she lost her would be capture and saw him perform an impressive hurdle over the bushes in his path. She saw him pull something glittery out of an inside pocket and quickly threw herself to the ground. She heard the knife whizzing past her a second later. She hastily scrambled up and took off again. She hadn't gotten very far when she felt something wrap around her right ankle and then her legs flew from underneath her. She fell hard to the ground, a little oof escaping her lips. Her hands stung from the impact, but better her hands than her face.

She felt large hands grab her shoulders roughly and turn her upwards. She tried fighting him but stopped abruptly as soon as she felt him straddle her. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise and her cheeks flushed crimson at the indecent position he had her in. Her mind barely registered how he grabbed both her wrists and it took her another second to realize he'd imprisoned her with something. Her eyes flitted to the object, what looked like crystal shackles, and then back to his arrogant face.

She had the sudden urge to wipe the smirk off his face. "I don't need my hands to best you." She tried conjuring up another icicle, but nothing formed in the air.

The young man above her let a guffaw of a laugh escape his lips. "No, I imagine you don't. But these little beauties here prevent you from doing any magick." He tapped the crystalized shackles, smug smile still in place. "My own invention, of course." His chest puffed out in pride and he fleetingly reminded her of a preening peacock, an image that made her snort. She'd studied them in one of her Terran classes. Good thing too, because this man seemed to be displaying a copious amount of self-satisfaction.

He seemed to deflate a little at her lack of interest but recovered quickly. "Now, if you don't tell me what you are doing here, I will be forced to charge you with attempt of murder. Penalty of that is death." The playfulness had left his eyes, replaced by calculating coldness.

She felt like she had no other option but to tell him the truth. "You were right, I am a senshi, protector of Princess Serenity. It seems my charge has escaped to your planet. I merely followed her to return her to her home. We meant no harm to your kingdom."

She watched as his brows furrowed in thought. Finally, a sigh escaped his lips. He deftly moved off of her and easily picked her up off the ground. He made no move to remove the shackles from her wrist though. "Seems Kunzite was right," he seemed to say to himself, as if forgetting she was there at all. "If that's the case…" he trailed off, deliberating with himself. "Let's make a deal," he finally said. "I'll take those off if you promise to not try to kill me again and to forget that I made an attempt at your life as well. Wouldn't want the wraith of the whole galaxy on me." He winked at her.

"I promise," she said. He gave her a beautiful smile then, one that left her a little stunned. He snapped and the shackles disappeared. She looked at him in confusion. Nowhere in her reports about Terra did it say their people could also use magick. She looked at him a little warily. If he noticed, he ignored it.

"Might as well introduce one another, since we'll be working closely together. I'm Lord Zoicite, general to Prince Endymion." He bowed low to her, the playful smirk again on his lips.

"I beg your pardon?" She said, surprised at his words.

His smile faltered. He seemed to hesitate a little before answering, "Lord Zoicite, general of the north. I'm one of Prince Endymion's shitennou."

"Yes, I understood that part. I deduced as much when I first laid eyes on you," she said coolly. "I meant the part where you mentioned us working together. I do not foresee that happening. Terra is not a part of the Silver Alliance."

He smiled sardonically at her. "Not yet we aren't. But it seems your princess has other ideas. She's been sneaking down here for about a month now. My prince is enchanted with her. And she with him, it seems."

She inwardly groaned. Leave it to Princess Serenity to fall for the one person she couldn't have. And once the princess had her mind set on something, no one could change it. She had to find her princess and drag her back home and report back to Sailor Venus. They had to nip this in the bud before Serenity truly fell in love with the Terran prince; for they would be doomed if they let that happen.

Another loud rumble made her jump again and she chided herself for being so easily spooked. She heard his chuckle and ignored it, choosing instead to try to find her princess through their bond.

"You're not Sailor Jupiter, since I heard she favors this type of weather." He had walked closer to her but she refused to acknowledge his presence. This seemed to irk him as he didn't look accustomed to being ignored. "You know it's rude to ignore someone that's speaking to you."

She sighed. He sounded like a petulant schoolboy. Unluckily for her, before she had a chance to scold him like one, the heavens opened up and big, fat drops of water began hitting her face. She squealed as he grabbed her wrist and tugged her along after him. Drenched in the few seconds that followed, and acutely aware that her sailor fuku now clung to her like a second skin, she let him lead her. They stopped underneath an overhang, both trying to catch their breath from the sprint.

She took one look at him and began to laugh. "You look like a drowned nuvox!" She managed to say in-between fits of laughter.

He shot her a look of disdain, but couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips. "I've no idea what that is, but pleasant I'm sure it's not." He undid the band that had held his luscious, curly hair and began to strain it. Another bought of laughter racked her body as she watched him preen himself.

"A nuvox is this little fur ball of a creature we have in Mercury. He's rather skinny, but his hair makes him look three times his normal size. When you get them wet, their white fur hangs limply on their skin. They don't much like getting wet so they'll spend the rest of the day carefully drying themselves off. Same fashion as you are doing now." For the first time, she smiled warmly at him.

He stopped messing with his hair and stared at her, a goofy smile on his lips. "Sounds dreadful."

"Oh no, they're my favorite creatures of Mercury. Extremely intelligent."

"I'll remember that, Sailor Mercury," he said softly, moving closer to her. She couldn't help but admire how beautiful he was, which was a peculiar way to describe a male, but he was nonetheless. His face had a softness to it, a delicacy most women would be jealous of. His hand reached out and she held her breath, afraid to even move. He tucked a strand of her loose, blue hair behind her ear, his hand resting a bit longer than necessary on her cheek.

"You should really laugh and smile more. You're radiant when you do." He dropped his hand and moved away from her, again messing with his hair. She felt her face flush and a warm, pleasant feeling fill her whole body.

They had stayed like that for a while, waiting for the downpour to clear. They had talked amiably and he had even gotten her to laugh a few times. Each time he had, he'd smiled brilliantly at her and her heart would flutter. After the rain had ebbed, they'd found their respective monarchs. She had scolded her princess half-heartedly, not really as upset as she'd been earlier. They had left then, and a small part of her had secretly wondered if that was the last time she'd ever see him. The rational side of her had said it was for learning purposes, but she knew better.

They had met many more times like that, but always random and sporadic-on the nights that they both protected their monarchs. Soon, though, their meetings weren't by chance and she had felt herself falling in love against her rational mind yelling at her not to. It'd been forbidden, for a senshi could love no other besides their princess. But she had fallen in love, with a Terran man no less. Of course Serenity had been ecstatic when she learned that her heart belonged to the green-eyed shitennou. Serenity wanted her senshi to find love just like she had with Prince Endymion.

It had been their downfall, the love they felt for the Terran men. Somehow their hearts had fallen to darkness and they had dragged the Silver Alliance down with them. She had met him one last time on the battlefield. Saw the shell of the man she once knew before her. His eyes held malice where before they shown with love. The twist of his lips made her heart yearn for the easy smile. She knew she would not make it out alive, even if her physical shell did. She had given this man her heart, the very fibers of her being, and he had already destroyed her the moment he raised his sword against her loved ones.

When they had fought she had hesitated when she had the chance to strike him down. He had gutted her then, not once wavering as his sword shredded through her skin. He had even laughed, a hollow laugh, as her blood stained his sword. His laugh had been short lived as a flaming arrow pierced his heart. He had died before his body had hit the ground. His lifeless eyes staring at her, she began to cry. She felt Rei kneel down beside her and cradle her head. Tearstains streaked down her soot-covered cheeks. Her face looked pale, like she had lost too much blood. She noticed a large, gaping wound on Rei's left flank that oozed blood steadily down her side. Rei leaned down, her long ebony hair fanning around them like a curtain, and kissed her forehead as her last breath sounded like a choked sob. She had learned later on that Rei had died like that, Rei's body having fallen to the side, but her head still on Rei's lap.

The tears had begun to fall again and the numbness she had felt had ebbed away, leaving the pain scratching at her heart. She had met him again in this lifetime. And in this lifetime she had not hesitated to kill him. She had not known how significant the man with the leaf-green eyes had been to her. All she knew was in that moment- she had felt like she had lost a piece of herself. Many years later she would find out why. One could say they were even now and she smiled bitterly at the thought.

She had walked to a little river a mile or so behind her neighborhood. It hadn't frozen over yet to her enjoyment. The running water acted like a balm on her frazzled nerves. The soft, trickling sound like music to her ears. She felt hot all of the sudden, like her whole body had been set ablaze. In that moment, her feverish mind came up with a senseless idea, and for once in her life, she paid her rational mind no attention.

She began to strip. She flung her gloves, scarf, and coat to the floor. Her boots came flying off next. She felt like the only way to get rid of the pain would be to dive into the river and wash it all away. She was no longer thinking clearly. Her mind did not care about hypothermia, about any of the consequences. Her shirt went up and over her head, tossed casually aside. Goosebumps prickled her body and her numb fingers had little success on unbuttoning her pants.

"Ami!" A familiar voice called out to her.

Ami abruptly stopped, her hands falling limply to her sides. Even in her delusional state, the ghost of him called out to her.

"Ami, stop!" This time the voice was closer, more urgent.

Her body tensed up, but Ami did not move. She stood there, not daring to breath, not moving an inch. She felt warm hands engulf her, a solid chest behind her. She inhaled deeply as she leaned against the warm embrace. His scent surrounding her, she knew she must have finally cracked.

"Ami," she heard his voice whisper, tickling her ear. His hands grasped her shoulders and gently turned her to face him. Ami dreamily stared up at leaf-green eyes. She saw tears streaming down his face and pain in his eyes. "I'm so sorry," he choked out. He pulled her into a tight embrace, burying his face in the crook of her neck. His warm breath on her throat sent little shivers running down her spine. He must have mistaken her shiver for something else, for he engulfed her again, running his hands up and down her arms to keep her warm. "I need to get you out of here, you're burning up!"

He bent down and retrieved her clothes. He started trying to dress her, a small blush marring his cheeks as he saw the state of her undress. He managed to get her shirt back on before she clasped his hands with hers.

"I was always the one that blushed." He smiled that beautiful smile she had yearned for all these years. And then her mind went haywire, trying to piece everything together. "Zoicite, is it really you? My mind isn't playing tricks on me? You're not some ghost here to torture me further?" She reached out and touched his face gingerly. He leaned into the touch, closing his eyes and sighing contently.

"I go by Zeph now. And add this to the long list of things I'm sorry for." He leaned in and kissed her fervently, like she would disappear if he didn't. She kissed him back, relishing the feeling of her hands entangling in his hair. They broke apart after awhile, both breathing heavily. He didn't let her go though and his hands went to rest on her slim hips. "Come on, let's take you home. You've got a fever. Once you get better, I'll grovel at your feet for forgiveness. I'll pray to all the gods for a sliver of hope that you'll take me back. That I can explain everything to you." He easily picked her up, cuddling her to his chest.

She knew she should've been wary of him, angry at his double betrayal, but she had no energy left in her. She had gone through all those emotions months ago when she first learned about her past. And for the second time in this life, Ami ignored her rational side.

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><p>So this is my first little one shot! I kept listening to the song Ghost by Ella Henderson and this thought of Ami popped into my head. (If you haven't, go check it out, it's very good and fits well) This turned out a lot longer than I had originally intended. But the story had a mind of it's own so I just kept writing. I'll be writing these whenever the mood strikes me, but no guarantees to when that'll be. Review and tell me what you think of it, thanks!<p> 


	2. Winter Wonderland

Ok so with Christmas just around the corner my fingers were itching to try a little christmas fic! This takes place in the same universe, if you will, as the previous one featuring Ami!

Featuring: Rei/Jadeite  
>Warnings: Once again I'd say this is T due to mentions of alcohol and kissing; M if you can't handle heavy kissing :)<br>I don't own Sailor Moon or Frozen

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><p>Rei stood watching him curiously as he bought two tickets to the botanic garden. He had on an oxford gray wool car coat and dark blue jeans, his blond, slightly curly hair peaking through the front of his blue beanie. She grudgingly admitted, if only to herself, that he looked good. He made his way back to her, his cerulean eyes twinkling with excitement.<p>

"Ready?" He asked her, unable to keep the giddiness out of his voice.

She nodded her head, a slight smile forming on her lips. They made their way outside, standing just far enough apart that their arms grazed one another's. As far as nights went, the weather wasn't so bad tonight, as long as the wind didn't pick up. It was pleasantly cold, as both of them had bundled up for the occasion. She pulled on her black knitted beanie with a little pompon, a gift from Usagi, more snuggly around her ears. They walked past the bare fountain, now decorated with white lights that made an intricate pattern around it, as if the lights itself were moving water. As they made their way to the open area, where the path curved right, left, or straight ahead, Rei halted to take a look around.

The botanic garden had been transformed into a winter wonderland. The sidewalk had been outlined with luminaries as far as her eyes could see. The trees next to them shown brightly with white lights winding its way up all the branches. Christmas music could be heard softly playing in the background.

"It's beautiful," she said softly. And romantic, she couldn't help adding to herself. She suddenly felt a little nervous standing so close to him. Luckily for her, her demeanor remained the same.

Julian grinned and grabbed her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. "Come on, let's go this way." He tugged her slightly to the right. She was pretty sure they were supposed to start on the left and make their way slowly to the other side, but she stayed silent and followed him. She secretly didn't want to damper the boy-like smile he had on his face. She glanced at their hands quickly, hers covered in a black leather glove, his in a knitted blue. It dawned on her that his gloves, along with the matching beanie, were the one's Makoto had made him the year before. They were well used from what she could see, and apparently well loved. That made her smile.

They stopped at a tall tree that partially hung over the sidewalk. The base of the tree had been decorated with purple lights. Where the trunk turned into branches, it alternated between purple, red, and blue. Hanging from the branches were balls made up of more lights, varying in color. It was gorgeous, so they stood there a little longer, admiring it. Rei untangled her hand from his to pull out her phone. She snapped a picture so as to always remember it.

"Want me to get a picture of you standing by it?"

Rei shook her head. "No, I don't want to ruin it."

"I think the tree would disagree with you," Julian teased.

Rei snorted. "Talking to tree's now, are you?" She slipped her phone back into the pocket of her red pea coat.

He chuckled. "I'll leave that to the expertise of Mako." He intertwined their fingers again and continued leading her down the path. The gesture was not lost on her. Deep down, she treasured holding hands, not that she would ever tell him that.

The girls would always have their bi-weekly "girls night", a tradition they had started once they had all become friends. On those nights, they would either get all dolled up and hit the clubs, or wear ridiculous pajamas and either spend the night at Makoto's or her place. They would all drink copious amounts of liquor and get plastered drunk, eagerly munching on the sweets Makoto had made while either getting ready or lying around all the blankets they'd laid on the floor. Those nights were the only time she let her guard down, feeling inebriated due to all the alcohol running through her body. She would snatch the closest girls hand and lace her fingers through theirs, regardless if they were headed to the latest club, out in public, or all lying on the blankets in a circle, their heads all touching as they giggled uncontrollably.

The girls would tease her about it, saying it was the only time she showed her affection towards them. She knew where her love of handholding stemmed from. Her mother had always held her hand. Whenever they were out running errands or walking around the park, her mother would slip her hands through hers. She had never felt so close to her mother as she did then, quietly relishing in the special bond as she happily swung their arms. After her mother had passed away, she hadn't felt that bond with anyone else for a long time.

When they had their first girl's night outing, after finishing off a bottle of RumChata and spiced Rum (what Minako had called a crunchy captain) she'd felt the yearning again for the bond she'd had with her mother. For the simple human interaction she had when they quietly walked hand in hand down the street. Sure she had her grandfather, who'd been an amazing and doting man. But she had never sought him out for that, the wound still too fresh after losing her mother. She'd been a child, and foolishly believed if she did, she'd loose him too. And so, after years of that yearning, and with friends who she thought of as sisters, she finally let go of those foolish, childish fears. In her drunken stupor, she'd boldly latched onto Minako's hand. Minako had giggled and looked down at their clasped hands.

The blonde's eyes had been glazed over with alcohol, but in that moment they were as sharp as ever. Minako had squeezed her hand in hers and whispered drunkenly, "I love you too, Rei."

Usagi had made her way to Rei's other side then, and taken her hand into hers. She gave Rei a drunken smile. "Sharing is caring, Minako!" She'd attempted a drunken hug while still holding fast to Rei's hand.

Makoto had laced her fingers with Minako's other hand and Ami's with Usagi's. They'd walked like that, hand in hand, all the way to the club, stumbling, giggling, and supporting each other.

So yes, she really relished handholding. She'd be lying to herself if she were to say she didn't enjoy her hand in his. She felt closer to him somehow, an intimate moment that they hadn't shared yet.

She didn't like it. Not one bit. Julian was wheedling his way into her armored defenses and it scared her senseless. This was their fourth official date. He'd been the epitome of a complete gentleman in the first three. Not once did he try to kiss her, grope her, or attempted an awkward hug after saying goodbye after each date. He'd kept his hands, and lips, to himself at all times. He'd been patient with her, giving her the space she needed to come to terms with it all. Hell, the man had given her almost a whole year before asking her out on an official date. He was stubborn, she'd give him that much.

She vaguely wondered who had spilled the beans on her secret love of handholding. Whoever it was (most likely Usagi, the little traitor), she'd be having a few choice words with later on. She'd been so rapt up in her murderous thoughts that she'd missed what Julian had asked her.

"I'm sorry, what?"

He chuckled again. "I think you've been hanging around Usagi too long. I asked who was in trouble since you looked ready to scorch someone. My bet's on Zeph." He added happily, his face lighting up. Probably picturing her burning his friend. Typical.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said coolly.

He scoffed at her. "Please! You get this evil little glint in your eyes and giddy look on your face every time you think about lighting anything on fire. You practically ooze satisfaction. I've been observing you, just like I used to back-" Julian coughed, a pink tinge marring his cheeks. "That is, look, what a beautiful display!" He pointed with his free hand hurriedly.

Rei bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. He looked cute, all flustered at his slip. Not that that excused his creepy tendencies.

Rei shrugged. "I've got to find ways to be jolly during the holidays," she smoothly replied, a teasing tone lacing her words.

"Remind me to have Zeph piss you off. Which shouldn't be too hard," he teased back.

Rei glared at him. "I'll add you to that list if you keep giving me lip!"

"Oh, the naughty list I hope!" He smiled wickedly at her.

This time, she was the one that felt the heat rise to her cheeks. She grumbled her plans on how she'd burn his ass if people weren't around. That just made him laugh. She ignored him and looked to what he'd originally pointed to. She was taken aback on how she had blatantly missed the display. LED lights had been placed on the ground, making about a 10-foot square. Above the square and centered stood a lone tree made up of only lights. Currently, the lights were dancing along to the Frozen song, Let it Go.

Rei turned towards Julian, an eyebrow quirked up. "Really?"

His face was completely serious as he replied, "Yes. Frozen is a majestic movie."

Rei rolled her eyes. "Says the 12 year old prepubescent girl."

Julian mocked being hurt. "The 12 year old prepubescent girl in me is crying real tears of hurt right now."

His laugh was infectious and Rei couldn't help but join in. They continued walking down the illuminated sidewalk, stopping in front of a beautiful wooden pergola. It had been decorated with stunning ice blue lights that shined brightly like little crystals. She had started pulling out her phone when an older gentleman stopped by them.

"Want me to take a picture of you lovebirds underneath it?" He asked, smiling sweetly at them.

Rei stiffened, her back ramrod straight. Julian easily pulled out his phone and handed it to the man, not missing a beat. "Yeah, that'd be great, thanks."

Julian pulled her close to him, wrapping an arm around her waist. Put in this position, Rei had no other choice but to stiffly place her arm around him. Up this close to him, she could smell his cologne. And her nose was a traitor for enjoying it.

"Okay, on the count of three. One…"

Rei felt Julian lean down towards her. "You smell delicious," he whispered right before she heard the click of his phone go off. Rei was pretty sure that picture would show her mortified face and Julian smiling cheekily.

The man handed Julian back his phone. "You two make a lovely couple. Have a good night." He shook hands with Julian, who had the biggest smile on his face.

"Thanks, you too."

Rei glared daggers at the man's retreating form. "Careful, Rei, I think I see smoke coming off of him," Julian teased. Rei knew he was teasing her on purpose to get a rise out of her. Well, two could play that game.

Instead of responding, she just rolled her eyes at him. She gave him a charming smile, which she noticed made him slightly nervous, and grabbed his hand. They made small talk as they continued their way around the garden, a plan formulating in her mind. When her sharp, amethyst eyes spotted what she'd been looking for, her grin turned predatory. Luckily for her, Julian had been distracted by another display of lights and hadn't noticed.

"Oh, let's take another picture together under that beautiful arch!" She made sure her eyes were full of pleading, her lips a little pouted. Minako would've been so proud. Plus, she wasn't lying; it really was beautiful. A large, white arch made up of the colors of the rainbow in lights stood over a part of the sidewalk that branched off.

Julian just stared dumbfounded at her. Maybe she had laid it on a little too thick. He stared at her suspiciously, his cerulean eyes searching hers. Finally, a grin broke over his face. "There's that joyful spirit!"

Rei laughed. "Yes, it's been hiding all along," she sarcastically remarked, signaling down an older couple passing by while Julian headed closer to the arch. Rei whispered something to the lady while handing her the phone. The lady smiled and nodded her head. Rei walked over to Julian, a little smile on her face.

He looked at her curiously. "What was that about?"

"Oh, just making sure she doesn't cut the arch off. You know how some older people do that by mistake," she supplied offhandedly. She snuggled up close to him, placing her hand on his chest. Even through all the fabric of his coat and shirt, she could feel the taught muscle underneath.

He pulled her closer, not seeming to mind or notice her complete 180 in regards to being so close. Rei almost snorted. When the lady started messing with her phone, tilting it this way and that to get the perfect angle, Rei casually whispered, "Look up."

Julian glanced upward, probably spotting what she'd seen earlier, and then back down to face her, confusion written all over his face. Rei quickly untangled herself from him, stood on her tiptoes, bracing herself on his chest with both hands, and brushed her lips against his. When she felt him respond, she pushed herself back, a wicked glint in her eyes and a cocky smile on her lips. The lady, per request, had taken a series of pictures of the whole thing. Rei couldn't wait to go through them to see the surprise on his face. She could feel Julian pouting next to her, but ignored him as she thanked the couple and stored her phone away.

"You know, that wasn't very nice," he mumbled.

Rei gave him a haughty look. "Maybe you should be more astute next time. Kaiden wouldn't be too happy." She smirked at his sour expression.

"You shouldn't be playing with fire, little miko, unless you're willing to get burnt," he warned, his eyes darkening.

Rei stared right back, tilting her head a little higher. "You forget how well I play with fire then."

Julian leaned in close and whispered, "No, but I've learned a few tricks." Rei felt a shiver run down her spine and knew it hadn't been from the cold.

She scoffed and poked him in the chest with a manicured finger. "If my memory serves right, falling on your ass while attempting to ice skate doesn't count."

He laughed and took her hand into his, eyes full of mirth. "I never claimed to be amazing at it, plus Neven pushed me. Now come on, Santa's here and I want to get my wish in."

Re rolled her eyes at him. "Figures you'd have an ulterior motive for bringing me here. You know he's not-"

"Ah ah," he said, cutting her off, "Don't go ruining it for me with your bah humbug attitude!"

Rei just shook her head, muttering nonsensical things about him.

* * *

><p>He had insisted on dropping her off and as they made their way up the steps, still hand-in-hand, Rei had thought how much fun she had had with him. Sure they'd had their other dates, but she'd been cautious around him. She hadn't really let herself enjoy his company until tonight. That thought made her frown.<p>

"Regretting what you wished for?" He asked teasingly. She just stared at him. "With Santa," he supplied, still smiling.

She sighed, a little exasperated. "Santa could never grant me my wish."

"Well, what is it?"

She gave him a sardonic smile. "I thought you weren't supposed to tell, you know, or else it wouldn't come true."

He shrugged. "Not sure, I didn't get that far in reading up on Santa." He gave her a sheepish grin. They arrived in front of her door and they stood facing each other.

"I'll tell you mine, if you tell me yours." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

She smacked him in the arm. "You're impossible." She turned, offering her back to him as she fumbled around for her keys.

"Wait, Rei." He grabbed both her hands in his larger ones. His tone came off serious, all jesting gone from his face. "Don't turn away from me. You could never hide what was wrong then from me and let's not pretend you can now."

She met his gaze, and what she saw there startled her. She'd forgotten how his very stare could bore into her soul so easily. Even if she's uncertain of what she's doing, she didn't show it. Her keys fell to the floor as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down towards her. This time, she didn't give him a chaste kiss, but a scorching one. One of her hands had his blue beanie clutched tightly, the other played with his soft curls, tugging him further down to her; she needed him closer. He seemed to want the same thing as he pushed her against the door roughly. She bit down on his bottom lip to chastise him. He grabbed one of her legs and lifted it to his hip, pressing into her, but didn't seem satisfied with just that, and hoisted her up instead. She gasped, a little surprised by his hand placement, but wrapped her legs around his torso. He groaned into her mouth, and the noise sparked a little flame inside of her.

When she finally pushed against his chest gently, they were both breathing hard. She noticed that her beanie, along with his, were loitering the ground. He rested his head on the hollow of her neck; his hot breath tickling her skin, giving her goose bumps. She bit down on her bottom lip when she felt his lips leave fiery kisses there.

He pulled away slightly then. "You've no idea how long I've been wanting to kiss you like that." His voice sounded strained. She answered him by kissing him again, this time not so fiercely- taking her time to enjoy him. She trailed her tongue across his lips and then captured his bottom lip into her own, sucking it slightly. He tightened his grip on her as he continued to kiss her slowly. She felt herself losing control and abruptly stopped. She pulled away again and this time unhooked her legs from around his waist. He slowly eased her down and sighed.

"Looks like you've learned a few tricks since then. Not that I mind," he hastily added when her eyes narrowed at him.

"I'll take that as a compliment," she said a little fiercely. Her heart pounded against her chest and she vaguely wondered what she'd gotten herself into. He always had a way of undoing her. He bent down and picked up their discarded beanies and her keys.

"You won't hear me complain. Except I am curious to know the names of those who taught you so I can beat them into a bloody pulp." He gave her a wolfish grin, his eyes glittering dangerously.

"You'll have a hard pressed time beating yourself up then," she coolly responded, noticing how her comment wiped the smirk off his face. He just stood there quietly, absorbing what she'd said. She watched his face as a cocky grin reappeared, making the connection.

"Goodnight, Julian," she said between gritted teeth. She didn't allow him to voice his inner thoughts about the situation out loud. Let him think what he wanted.

He smirked and bended down quickly, giving her a quick kiss before she could complain. When she glanced up at him, she saw his somber look.

"I know I've made empty promises in the past, so I won't make any now. And I know why you're scared, Rei. God knows I don't blame you, since you've got every reason to be. I've done some shitty things in the past. But I'm not going anywhere and I'll wait another 1000 years or more until you realize that." He handed her the keys and made his way to the stairs. When he reached the foot of them, he turned back around. She stood rooted to the spot, barely able to breath.

"For the record, I wished for another million years like tonight. And I'm glad I did, because even if this is all you can give me, I'm happy." He smiled sadly at her and began walking down the stairs.

Rei couldn't seem to make her feet move. Fear paralyzed her to the spot. Back then, she'd been too prideful to tell him how she felt. Now, she'd known too much lose. It scared her to think that she could love him back, because if she did, it meant that he'd be capable of hurting her like no one else could. Even more than her father, and that still stung to this day. Had she not suffered the last time? Had she not died back then because of what she felt for him? Or, a little voice in her mind said, whom she always pictured as being her grandfather, because you didn't let yourself love him; you made yourself suffer. Was she doomed to keep repeating her childish mistakes again and again? Had she not finally learned after many years that the opposite of love was not hate, like she had previously thought, but indifference? Whatever she felt for Julian, it was anything but apathy.

Scrounging up what little gumption she had left, she bolted after him. He was at the bottom of the stairs, rounding the corner when she yelled, "Julian, stop!"

He turned towards her, his face a mask of cool indifference. She halted in her treacherous decent down the steps.

"Why don't you stay for tea," she lamely finished. He smiled radiantly at her and her breath hitched in her throat. He ran up the stairs to meet her half way, the boyish grin still on his face. He leaned down and captured her mouth with his hungrily, knowing full well that even if that wasn't a declaration of love, it was a step in the right direction. When he pulled away, he threaded his fingers through hers easily. As they made their way back up the stairs, Rei couldn't help but think that maybe Santa had granted her wish.

* * *

><p>Ok, so I had wanted to do a Christmas type thing and this is what I came up with. I had originally planned it to be light and fluff (but the end kind of spluttered a little, oops). Because of that, Rei might be a little out of character. I wanted to give her and Jadeite a fluffy side since they're always so angsty! So don't worry, she'll go back to being her normal, haughty self soon! Hope you guys enjoyed it as it was intended to be a little Christmas present. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! :D<p> 


	3. Rum Flavored Kisses

Because February is my birthday month, I wanted to post something during it just for fun! So, as a happy birthday to all you awesome Feb babies (woo!) here's a little something for us all!

Featuring: Makoto/Nephrite (little bit of Minako thrown in too)  
>Universe: Same one-shotdrabble as the first two. Takes place after Ami's but before Rei's.  
>Warningsrating: Just to be on the safe side, I'll rate this as an M. It involves heavy usage of Rum, heavy hinting of sex (nothing graphic, mind you), and all three characters have potty mouths. So, if all those things offend you, I suggest you move along!

* * *

><p>The summer air was hot and humid, promising another day in record-breaking temperatures. All the windows in the small apartment were propped open, the hot air breezing in. And unluckily for Makoto, her stupid, measly little air conditioner decided to sputter out on her last night (as if that night couldn't get any worse). It was early Sunday and so maintenance wouldn't come around until Monday afternoon to fix it. Makoto was stuck with no air and dingy fans to keep her alive until then. And all those did was circulate the hot air around and around.<p>

To make matters worse, she had had the bright idea to bake Usagi's birthday cake today of all days. Her apartment had already been sweltering hot to begin with, coupled with the preheated oven; it became almost unbearable to be in. Since she lived on the highest floor and wasn't expecting any company besides Minako later in the day, Makoto had no qualms in shedding all her clothes but a white tank top and her green, lacey cheeky panties. Her tank was currently sticking to her body like a second skin thanks to the sweat that was pooling underneath it. Not for the first time, she cursed her bad luck.

She'd been hoping that her foul mood from last night could be fixed by one of her favorite past times, baking, but the heat had all but ruined that for her. She stood in front of her stove, sweat starting to form on her forehead as she mixed the chocolaty contents in the pot. She had decided to try a new recipe for the filling of Usagi's cake; one that required spiced rum. She had only put in two tablespoons for taste, since the actual alcohol would be cooked off. The bottle stood a little to the left of her and Makoto eyed it apprehensively.

After the night she had had, morning drinking wasn't sounding so bad. _Besides, it's not like there is anyone around to judge me_, she thought_. _With her mind made up, Makoto stirred the contents until it was the right consistency. She quickly turned off the stove and set the pot on another burner to cool off. Not much she could do with it until later. Grabbing the rum bottle and taking a few swigs, she stood in front of the closest fan, relishing in the small reprieve it gave her. Not that that was saying much since the air was still relatively warm as it hit her sticky skin.

Taking another few more swigs, Makoto sighed. Leave it to her to drown her sorrows with alcohol and baking. If her friends knew, they probably would've chided her, but she didn't really care at the moment. She was feeling miserable and needed a pick-me-up. And the one-pound of chocolates she'd inhaled last night hadn't helped. As she stood in front of the fan, the air blowing her auburn hair around her face easily, Makoto thought back to the past six months.

It had all started in January, when _they_ had all but popped back up into the senshi's lives like unwanted weeds. It had been a shock to them all when Zoicite, or Zeph as he went by nowadays, had carried in a feverish Ami to Rei's doorsteps. Of course she and Rei had ran over, Rei snatching Ami out of his hands with such force Zeph had stumbled forward. Makoto had been seething with rage, and in her rage, she had punched him square in the jaw before anyone else could even utter a word. The resounding crack had been music to her ears.

_"Makoto! What the hell are you doing? Stop!" Mamoru yelled at her._

_ "I do not take orders from you, Mamoru!" She yelled as she swung again, missing Zeph as he quickly dodged her this time around. She yelled out in frustration as she swung again, her vision clouded in a red haze. Her punches were sloppy at best. If she had been paying attention, she would've noticed that he wasn't swinging back at her, merrily dodging. As it were, she was too busy trying to land another hit to notice. _

_ "Makoto!" Usagi squeaked, alarmed._

_ Makoto kept on messily throwing punches until Mamoru stepped in between Zeph and her, grabbing her flailing hands into his larger ones. Makoto stopped long enough to stare at Mamoru with a look of confusion mingled with hurt. She pulled her hands roughly away from his, jumping back in anger._

_ "What the hell are you doing protecting him? He's our enemy!" She yelled at him, her hands balled into fists at her sides._

_ "Zeph's not! If you would just calm down for a second and let me explain, you'd see that," Mamoru calmly stated, his sapphire eyes pleading with her. Makoto took another step back, horrified at his words. She felt Minako's hand snake around her own and tug her back towards her. Makoto stood silently next to Minkao, all the fight having left her as Mamoru's words felt like a punch to the gut. She vaguely registered Rei's stiff form next to her. _

_ Usagi looked conflicted as she stood in the middle of Mamoru and them. With drooped shoulders and a sad look back at them, Usagi made her way next to Mamoru._

_ "Usagi, get back here!" Minako commanded. She had taken a small step towards the other blonde girl._

_ "It's ok Minako. He's not going to hurt me. Please, just listen to Mamoru! We can explain everything!" Usagi said, her voice trembling with emotion._

_ "If he stabs her, it's her own damn fault. Can't protect someone from their own stupidity," Rei shot back, her glare projected towards the three that stood in front of her. Usagi physically flinched at the words. Makoto sighed sadly. She hated seeing Usagi upset. She turned to Minako, a questioning look as she addressed her leader silently. _

_ Minako nodded her head curtly. "Fine, we'll listen. But Usagi needs to be on our side, just in case."_

_ Usagi jutted her chin out stubbornly, crossing her arms and planting her feet firmly on the ground. Minako shook her head, exasperated. _

_ Rei scoffed. "Your funeral then," she said coolly._

_ "Usako, go on, it's fine." Mamoru gave Usagi a small smile as he gently prodded her forward. Usagi nodded her head and made her way next to Minako. "Can we please discuss this inside, Rei?"_

_ Rei bristled, opening her mouth to retort but Usagi cut her off._

_ "Rei, please!" Usagi pleaded, her sky blue eyes turning rounder as she clasped Rei's hands. Rei's glare softened slightly._

_ "Whatever. But if he so as much as breathes wrong, I'm holding you personally responsible." _

_ Usagi squealed happily, nodding fervently. Rei made her way inside the temple, the others following silently behind her. She stopped in front of her room to check up on Ami, who was sleeping peacefully in Rei's bed. Zeph took a step forward but Makoto stopped him with a warning look. He looked at Ami sadly but nodded his head, following them as Rei led them further in._

_ They all sat around the small table as Rei busied herself preparing tea. Makoto smiled despite herself; leave it to Rei to still be a gracious host in such a hostile meeting. Makoto eyed Zeph when he wasn't looking. His shoulders were slumped dejectedly and he was nervously folding and unfolding his hands in his lap. He looked so pitiful Makoto almost felt bad for him. Almost. When Rei finished serving everyone but Zeph tea (he had to serve himself), Mamoru cleared his throat. _

_ "As you can see, the shitennou are back. I'll spare you all the details on how that's possible since we aren't too sure ourselves. They showed up almost a month ago at my doorsteps. After a few days of considering their fates, I decided to forgive them. I told Usako a week later, and she welcomed them with open arms." Mamoru smiled warmly at Usagi, squeezing her hand._

_ "You mean you knew and didn't tell us?" Makoto asked, feeling a little hurt._

_ "Hush, Makoto. Let them finish. We'll have our chance to scrutinize them later," Minako calmly stated, placing a reassuring hand on her knee. Minako signaled for Mamoru to continue._

_ "I made her promise not to say anything to you guys. I wanted to make sure I could trust them before everyone met. They were still coming into their powers and I didn't want them to be a threat to anyone. We finally agreed to tell you guys tonight. I was going to have them all show up after our weekly meeting, but then Zeph called and said there was something wrong with Ami so I told him to meet me at Rei's temple since I was already here and I was worried about her. This wasn't how I planned on it going," Mamoru finished, frustration lacing his words. _

_ Makoto sat quietly, digesting everything Mamoru had stated. Her heart rate had quickened at the prospect of his words. Nephrite was alive and in the same city. She wasn't quite sure how she felt about it all. _

_ "Rei, do you sense an evil presence around Zoicite?" Minako's voice broke into Makoto's inner thoughts. _

_ "It's Zeph now," the strawberry blond man added, trying to be helpful._

_ "Same difference," Rei shot back acidly. "And no, I don't." Makoto thought she sounded a little disappointed. _

_ Minako tapped her lip with a finger, thinking it over. After a few seconds of silence, she placed her hands on the table. "I'd like to have a private meeting with my senshi to discuss this further, but with Ami not being here, we will have to post-pone it until she feels better. Until then, I recommend you keep your men far away from Usagi and the rest of us." With that, the discussion was thoroughly closed. Mamoru looked ready to say something, but the look Minako was giving him kept his mouth shut. Makoto was impressed. Zeph looked around the room awkwardly and stood up, giving them all a sad little smile._

_ "It was a pleasure to finally meet all of you. Please take care of Ami for me; she has a high fever that's a bit worrisome. Good day." He waved half-heartedly and left with Mamoru, who hadn't said a word. _

_Usagi had stayed behind. No one had really talked those next few days when they all camped out at Rei's, waiting for Ami to get better. When she finally did recover, they had gathered around in Rei's room. The air was heavy with anticipation and anxiety. Minako recounted what had transpired to Ami, who sat quietly listening._

"_I thought I was dreaming when I saw him," Ami responded, a blush creeping up her neck and face._

"_I wish," Rei mumbled._

"_That's it!" Usagi exclaimed, stomping her foot angrily. Makoto stared at her in surprise. "I'm not telling you guys to pick up where you left off in the Silver Millennium, but-"_

"_That would be a little difficult considering they killed us. Can't really pick up where we left off when you left off being dead," Rei said sarcastically, interrupting Usagi's speech. Makoto looked at Usagi, waiting for the tears to appear, but there were none. Instead, Usagi had drawn herself up, looking like the regal queen she would one day be._

"_Rei, you will listen to me without interruptions! I am your Queen and I deserve that respect. Am I making myself clear?" Makoto had never heard Usagi use that tone of voice with any of them. She couldn't help but smile proudly at Usagi._

_Rei glared back, crossing her arms, but didn't say anything else._

"_Good. Now, I can't force you guys to like them, but you will be working with them. It'll be good to have them around for patrols. We won't be stretched out so thin and it'll give us some breathing room. I know you'd never complain, but I see how tired you guys get. This will be good for us, I promise. And I see how happy Mamoru is now that they are around. So please, try to be civil, for Mamoru?" Usagi had been close to tears towards the end, but held them back with a few stubborn sniffles. They had all agreed, some more stubbornly than others, to be civil around the shitennou for Mamoru and Usagi's sake. _

The shrill beeping of the timer Makoto had set for the cake brought her back to the present. Setting the rum down, she grabbed her mittens and opened up the oven, cursing the heat as it wafted towards her face. Grabbing the cake and placing it on the stove, Makoto closed the oven and turned it off, wiping her brow with the back of her hand. She'd probably have to place the cake in the fridge to cool off faster since her apartment felt like the inside of an oven. Deciding to see how the cake would do sitting out for a while, Makoto grabbed the bottle and headed into her little living room. She sat on the wooden floor instead of the couch, preferring the coolness of it rather than the clothed death trap. Leaning against the wall, Makoto stretched her long legs out. Looking at the bottle in her hand, she noticed she had drunk a little more than she originally thought.

_Oh well_, she thought, taking another swig of it. The first couple of months with the shitennou had been trying to say the least. Ami had been the most forgiving, striking up a friendly relationship with Zeph and the other men easily enough. She had always made polite conversation whenever they were around. Minako, acting like their leader, kept her word and was civil around them all, for the most part. She even started acting like her normal, bubbly self around Jadeite, now named Julian. Makoto did notice how Minako avoided Kunzite, or rather Kaiden, unless she absolutely couldn't avoid it. That tended to be a lot, given that they were both acting leaders and had to discuss various strategies. It had made for some awkward situations.

Rei had acted aloof around all the shitennou, only speaking to them when she had no other choice. She had all but pretended Julian didn't exist, never once looking or speaking to him in the first month and a half. And as for herself, well she had been angry at first. She had snapped at them a lot that first month; she was embarrassed to say now. But soon, her friendly disposition won out when she got to know this version of them better. The only one she had held a grudge against had been Nephrite, or Neven as he went by nowadays. Which was ironic, since he'd been the one to win all the other senshi over with his teddy bear persona. He joked and laughed the easiest among the four.

Rei and Makoto had secretly come to an agreement during that first month. Since Usagi had made them patrol as senshi/shitennou pairs, alternating so they all could get a chance to know each other better, they'd cheated her system. Rei and Makoto would switch nights whenever they'd be stuck with a certain shitennou they couldn't stand. Ami and Minako had disapproved, but hadn't said anything to Usagi.

Their little agreement had lasted for about a month until Usagi had found out. Unbeknownst to them, Usagi had told the men to switch too. Rei had walked into a trap one faithful night. She had handled it with the grace and poise she'd been born with, up until about halfway through their patrol. Julian and Rei had stumbled upon a stray youma. According to the story both had told later on, Julian had somehow almost (accidently he'd kept insisting) kicked Rei when the youma had dodged. Rei had quickly dispatched the youma with a fiery arrow and had turned her bow on Julian. He'd been sporting a scorch mark on his arm when they'd reported back the next day.

Minako and Kaiden had both decided that to keep a situation like that from happening again, the senshi and shitennou would train every weekend together, to better acclimate themselves. The first few training sessions had gone well. Makoto had done her best to avoid Neven during them, but somehow he had always managed to worm his way near her. She'd lost her temper a few times around him, and he had with her once, but it'd been nothing compared to Julian and Rei.

During one particular training session, Julian had made a comment that had finally set Rei off. She had said some pretty nasty words to him and then had stormed off, but not before setting the tree next to Julian on fire. After that day, instead of ignoring Julian, Rei had made it her mission to insult him every chance she got.

_Kaiden called off the training session early on account of what had transpired. Makoto was heading out with Minako when Neven materialized from nowhere, barring her escape. Minako pursed her lips as she eyed Neven. Makoto shot her a pleading look._

_Minako sighed, shaking her head. "Karma's a real bitch, Mako. Neven, behave." She shot him a warning look and he returned it with an easy smile. Minako continued walking, leaving Makoto alone with Neven. Makoto glared at him for good measure._

"_Look," he began, shifting uneasily from foot to foot, "I know things between us have been…less than ideal."_

_Makoto snorted. "Understatement of the year," she mumbled._

"_But I'm tired of feeling like I'm walking on eggshells around you. All this pent up frustration and anger you have for me needs to stop. So, have at me!" He raised both arms wide, a grin on his face._

"Excuse_ me?" She said threateningly. _

_He stared at her dumbly, not understanding where the hostility had come from until his mind finally caught up. He shook both hands in defense, a look of horror plastered on his face. "No, no that's not what I meant. That…that came out wrong. I meant I want you to fight me. And none of that pansy stuff Kaiden makes us do. If you want to transform and shoot lighting at me, go ahead. I promise, I won't fight back. We won't stop until you've had your fill; until every murderous thought you've had is released." He seemed pretty proud of himself as he waited for her response. _

_Makoto blinked at him owlishly, trying to comprehend all that he had said. He wanted her to pommel him for sport? And if she'd heard correctly, he wouldn't retaliate, which meant it really wouldn't be a fair fight. But Makoto was past the point of caring, so she lunged at him. _

_Since he hadn't been expecting her to attack him just then, he didn't dodge her right cross. Her fist collided with his abdomen and his breath escaped his lips in a huff. Neven clutched his stomach as Makoto jumped back, clutching her hand._

"_I think you broke my hand!" She winced as she examined her hand tentatively. Punching him there felt like punching a brick wall, not your normal flabby human guy._

_Neven tried to chuckle, but it came out as more of a grimace. "That's not exactly my fault."_

"_Oh shut up!" Makoto growled back. She attempted a front thrust kick but he jumped back. She attacked again with a hook kick, trying to catch him by surprise. Again, he was too fast for her. "I thought you said I could hit you!" _

_He barked out a laugh. "You'll have to do better than that." He smiled cheekily at her._

_Makoto ground her teeth. She kept attacking, her aggression getting the better of her. He kept easily dodging her attacks, a grin on his face the whole time, which annoyed her. He blocked a particularly nasty roundhouse kick aimed at his thigh by quickly hooking his arm around her leg. He shoved her leg back and she stumbled backwards but recovered quickly. "Why are you doing this?" She huffed out as she continued her onslaught._

"_Because you hate me," he simply stated back, blocking a high kick aimed at his head. He grimaced a little from the blunt force of her kick. _

_She stopped to consider his words, her breathing starting to become labored from all the strain. "I don't hate you," she mused as she attempted a jab-cross punching combination that he barely blocked. She was starting to pick up on his movements._

"_Maybe not, but I want us to be friends. Like we used to be." He crossed his arms over his head to block her axe kick, his knees buckling a little from the force. With a heave, he pushed upwards, making her lose her footing from the upward motion._

_She fell on her butt with an ungraceful "oomph". The sting from his words hurt her more than flopping on her ass. The prickling of tears at the ends of her eyes made her angry. _

"_We were more than just friends, but you had to go ruin that by betraying me!" She ignored the rumbling clouds that had gathered above them, a telltale sign that she was truly getting upset. She lashed out at him with a low, spinning sweep kick. He went crashing to the floor and barely had time to roll to the side as she brought her heel down._

"_I know and I can't ever apologize enough for it! That's why I would never even entertain the fact of pursuing you in that way again. Not after how much I hurt you. But not having you in my life at all is torture, Mako!" He rolled back onto his haunches, his voice pleading._

"_I loved you! I committed treason by being with you, by telling you all those things! And for what? For you to throw it all back in my face as you plunged your spear into my chest?" Makoto knew she sounded hysterical, but she was past the point of caring._

"_Don't you think I know that? I can't take that back. Every time I look at you, I see…" His brown eyes looked haunted as he looked at her, struggling with the words. He shook his head, frustrated. "Doesn't matter. I know you can't ever see me in that way again; I'm not doing this to win you back. I just miss seeing your smile and knowing I'm the reason you don't, kills me. We were friends once, I'd like to think we can be again."_

_The sad, hopeful tone he used pushed Makoto over the edge. She rushed him, blindly throwing out punches, not really aiming. "All you had to do was apologize! Apologize for being a stupid asshole that didn't believe me when I told him I loved him! Apologize for turning to that bitch Beryl and ruining everything!" Every word was emphasized with a half-hearted punch and Neven just stood his ground, letting her hit him. Only one of her punch's connected solidly and Neven stumbled back, clutching his jaw._

_Lightening illuminated the sky and with it, the downpour began. The drops came down fast, soaking everything it touched. The rain had a calming effect on Makoto and she stopped her pitiful assault, crumbling to the floor. She brought her bruised hands to cover her face, her tears mingling with the rain as they both carved a path down her cheeks. Her sobs shook her whole body._

_She felt Neven kneel down beside her hesitantly. His warm, calloused hands pulled her own away from her face. His hands dwarfed hers by comparison and she just stared at them clutching her own. _

"_Mako," he finally said and she looked up, tears making him look blurry. His long, curly brown hair, matted down by the rain, made him look younger._

"_I'm so sorry for ever doubting you, for doubting us. I'm so sorry for betraying you and letting Beryl so easily influence me. I'm sorry for being a coward; for letting my emotions cloud my judgment." His mocha colored eyes were full of sincerity. He tried smiling, but it came out as a grimace, his hand coming up to gingerly touch the spot she'd punched. "Still got a mean right hook I see."_

_She laughed, but the sound came out as more of a sob. She was exhausted and yet, she felt lighter somehow; like all the pent up resentment she felt for him had washed away with the rain. Makoto stood up, wiping her auburn hair away from her face. She stuck out her hand._

"_Friends. Just friends. Think you can do that?" She smiled up at him._

"_Just friends, I promise." He shook her hand. _

That had been a little over four months ago. Since then, they'd gradually worked on their friendship. She no longer avoided him and during their patrols together, they had eased into a friendly banter. Soon, they started seeing each other outside of duty bound obligations. Movie nights with him and the rest of the guys or catching up over a quick lunch had turned into routine for them.

Makoto was happy with their little arrangement and Neven had kept his promise. She was very much content…until one day she wasn't. She had noticed the uneasy feeling she got around him about a month ago. His easy smiles had started leaving her breathless, the way he always complimented her on the little things made her blush with embarrassment, and the way her heart would beat sporadically anytime she was near him had been troubling.

Somewhere in those four months she had fallen for him, even without meaning to. She hadn't known what to do with this newfound affection, so she'd gone to Zeph for help. Rei had been out of the question, and Minako…she wasn't sure what Minako's deal had been lately. Ami had never been very good when it came to matters of the heart (although her new relationship with Zeph might have made her more suitable) and Usagi would have made a bigger deal of it than it really was. No, her best bet had been Zeph of all people.

On the night that they had been scheduled to patrol together, Makoto had brought up Neven during their normal conversation. He had chatted about his brown haired friend happily but then he'd dropped what felt like a bomb to Makoto. Zeph had, in passing, mentioned that Neven had been seeing a girl and seemed happy. Makoto didn't realize that she could have felt that much anguish over such news. She had completely forgotten to ask Zeph what he thought about her newfound feelings for his friend. The rest of the night had passed by in a blur, as did the week.

And then, last night had happened. It had been Neven's turn to patrol with her. It had been a relatively boring night with no youma to dispatch. They had run around the city in the stifling hot night air with nothing to distract themselves with. Neven had complained about the temperature, tugging on his uniform. And then, with a mischievous look in his eyes, he'd told her she should start a storm. She'd scoffed at the idea, telling him she couldn't control the weather.

Shrugging his shoulders, he'd walked over to a fire hydrant. With one last, mischievous look back at her, he had broken off the top and water had spewed everywhere. He had started laughing as she spluttered at him, shocked as the cold water had hit her. She had marched up to him, soaking wet, and angrily yelled at him for wasting all the water. He shook himself like a wet dog, splashing her with a silly grin on his face.

She had looked up at him in all his glorious skintight uniform and something had stirred deep within her. And, like many times before, her brash, impulsive self won out. She had reached out and kissed him without a second thought. Her skin had tingled at the contact, but then reality had come crashing down on her. He had a girlfriend. She had no business kissing a man with a girlfriend. She had pulled away from him like she'd been electrocuted.

She had mumbled some stupid excuse and teleported straight to her apartment without letting him say a word. She'd thrown herself angry into a chair, not caring that she was wet. She had felt humiliated, guilty, and angry.

And now here she was, tipsy on rum and trying to forget that last night had ever happened. Makoto groaned as her mind replayed their kiss again and again. What had she been thinking? She had been the one that had practically told him she didn't want anything to do with him. She had been the one that had uttered the dreaded words of just friends. When he had finally moved on, when she no longer could have him, was when she wanted him the most.

_What a piece of work I am_, she thought bitterly. Eyeing the rum bottle like her current predicament had been its fault, Makoto sighed to herself. Deciding she clearly had had enough to drink, she stashed the rum bottle away for another day. Working meticulously, she started layering Usagi's cake. Even if she were tipsy, her work didn't suffer. Not that Usagi would care; she would eat whatever Makoto had made for her with a happy smile on her face. She placed the first layer of cake down and then smothered it with the new filling, spreading it evenly. She took the second layer and gently placed it on top, coating it with another generous amount of chocolate filling. Makoto heard her phone buzz, signaling a new text message. She ignored it, knowing it'd probably be Minako saying she'd be late.

When she was finished with the third layer, she grabbed the hot pink fondant she had already prepared from the fridge. Carefully covering the cake with the fondant, Makoto trimmed the excess from the bottom, making sure it was all smoothed out. She grabbed her piping bag and made some random designs on the cake, adding a few flowers into the mix. Makoto eyed the finished cake; making small adjusts with her piping bag as she saw fit.

Happy with her final product, she carefully placed the cake inside her fridge. It had taken her the better part of a day to finish Usagi's cake, including her little trip down memory lane. It was already late afternoon as Makoto began humming a song as she cleaned up her kitchen. She still felt slightly buzzed from all the rum she'd consumed, so her washing of dishes were randomly interrupted with bursts of little dance moves. Her hands were full of soapsuds when someone knocked on her door.

"Dammit Minako! How many times have I told you there's a spare key in my potted plant!" Makoto angrily shouted as she wiped her hands on a dishtowel, stomping her way to her front door. She yanked her door open, ready to berate her friend when she stopped short in surprise. With a little squeak, she slammed the door shut. She could feel her face heat up from embarrassment as her brain seemed to short circuit.

"Makoto, I'm coming in," Neven said through the door.

"Wait, don't-!" She hurriedly began, starting for the door only to have it smack her in the face as it swung open. She cursed as she clutched her nose, her eyes watering from the pain.

"Oh shit! Are you ok?" Neven asked as he rushed to her side, concern evident in his eyes and body posture. He hunched over to better see, placing a hand on the small of her back. His unruly hair tickled her cheeks; he was so close.

"I'm fine," Makoto said as she tried to inch away from his touch. "I probably deserved it," she thought out loud. She pulled her hand away, inspecting it for blood. There was none. If she were lucky, there'd be minimal bruising and her nose would just be tender to the touch for a few days.

"I'd say that's a harsher punishment than what I would've given you for slamming the door in my face." He eyed her nose, making sure she looked fine, a small grin on his face.

Makoto was acutely aware she was standing in front of Neven half naked. She tried edging closer to her couch to block his view. "I wasn't expecting you, that's why I was a little surprised."

"It's really hot in your apartment," Neven commented, wiping his brow as beads of sweat began to pool there.

"Yeah, my A.C. broke," she said distractedly, eyeing her couch. Just a few more steps and she'd be safely behind it.

"Ah, that explains your outfit. Or lack there of."

Makoto stopped moving and turned her head towards Neven. She caught him eyeing her legs before his eyes snapped back up towards her face. The appreciative look he was giving her made her squirm a little.

"I told you not to come in for a reason! Stop staring!" She gritted out as his eyes once again dropped below her face.

"It's a little hard not to when you're flaunting your assets at me," he teased.

"Oh shut up before I smack that grin off your face! What the hell are you doing here anyway?" Her temper flared as his smile grew wider.

"I wanted to talk about last night."

And with those words her temper ebbed away, to be replaced with a hollow feeling. She debated playing dumb, but quickly dismissed the thought. Guilt quickly filled her mind and she groaned inwardly.

"Look, that was a mistake, I know. I should've never kissed you. That must've put you in an awkward position, having to explain that to your girlfriend. I completely understand if you never want to hang out with me again. I am so sorry." Makoto knew she was babbling, but the words kept spilling from her mouth.

Neven looked at her with a confused expression as she kept pacing around her living room, completely abandoning her quest to hide behind her couch. "Wait, what? Makoto, what are you talking about?"

She whirled around to face him. "Stop staring at my ass and pay attention! I doubt your girlfriend would enjoy the fact that you keep ogling me!"

"Girlfriend?" He asked, frowning at her.

"Yes, girlfriend. Your girlfriend you big oaf!" Makoto said, exasperated. "You know, the one Zeph told me about when I asked about-" Makoto clamped her mouth shut, looking horrified at her slip.

"Zeph told you I had a girlfriend?" Neven parroted, a bemused smile on his face.

Makoto's heart dropped at the smile. Makoto had already felt crummy and, coupled with the rum currently running through her bloodstream, she felt she'd be an emotion wreck any second now. Once again she felt all the fight leave her body. Makoto felt emotionally exhausted and just wanted him out of her apartment so she could wallow in self-pity alone.

"Yes. So there's really no need for you to explain yourself. I already know your situation. It won't happen again," she dully stated, making her way to her door and opening it, hoping he'd get the hint. She couldn't bear to look at him so she stared at the wall instead.

Makoto heard him cross the room swiftly. Neven stopped in front of her and gently pried her fingers from the doorknob. She watched as he closed her door and locked it, her mind blank and her body rigid.

"You silly girl," he whispered as he tilted her chin up. Makoto's eyes met his and she fought back the tears that threatened to spill. "There's no one else. There will never be anyone else. Everyone else pales in comparison to you, Makoto."

The tears she'd been holding back fell from her eyes as she closed them tightly shut. Makoto felt his lips brush against hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down, deepening the kiss.

Neven was the one to break the kiss, a wolfish grin on his face. "Is that rum I taste?"

"Maybe," Makoto said, a little embarrassed.

Neven threw his head back and laughed. "Are you drunk?" He asked in-between fits of laughter.

Makoto disentangled herself from him and swatted him playfully. "No! I stopped drinking before I got to that point."

Neven chuckled. "And here I was going to ravish you, but now I can't. It'd be like I was taking advantage of tipsy Mako."

"Tipsy Mako wants to be ravished," Makoto teased. She grabbed his hand and led him to her couch. Makoto pushed him and Neven fell back on the couch. She knew that, if he had wanted, he'd still be standing. She straddled him, a playful smile on her lips. She kissed him, a little thrill running up her spine as his tongue met hers. They stayed like that, hands roaming as their lips stayed locked, for a few minutes.

Makoto pulled away slightly, trailing hot kisses along his jawline and down to his neck. She softly grazed her lips over his exposed skin, sometimes nipping, other times sucking gently. She felt his body go rigid underneath hers.

"Makoto," he warned, his voice sounding like a low growl.

Pleased with herself, Makoto stopped and looked at him innocently. "Yes?"

He closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "I am not Kaiden. I do not have the best self-control, remember?"

"Who says I want you to?" She asked seriously. She quirked an eyebrow up as he continued to look at her.

Makoto gave a little yelp as she found herself pinned underneath him. Neven ran his calloused hand up her thigh and then underneath her shirt, feeling her taught stomach prickle up in goose bumps. Makoto's breath hitched in her throat when she felt him kiss the path his hand had just made.

"You sure about this?" Neven murmured against her stomach.

Makoto cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her. She tugged him back up and gave him a quick peck. She smiled at him and nodded her head, not trusting her voice. He leaned down and captured her lips with his and she arched against him as his free hand slipped lower.

* * *

><p>Makoto slipped a pink tank top over her head and down her torso. The sun was finally beginning to set, but her room still felt relatively warm, even with her fan running on high. She ran a towel through her damp hair as she plopped down on her bed, a content sigh escaping her lips. She glanced at her closed bathroom door with a smile on her face.<p>

Neven was still in the bathroom, finishing up his shower. She had gotten out as soon as her hands started to get all pruney. He'd objected, but she'd silenced him with the promise of food. He had grinned like a small boy, shooing her away.

Makoto stretched out on her stomach as she thought about the ingredients in her fridge. She tried planning a meal, however her mind kept drifting back to how she loved his capable fingers but then a noise interrupted her thoughts.

She pushed her upper body away from the bed, straining to hear. Sure enough, she heard shuffling outside her bedroom. Makoto's heart beat frantically as she hoisted herself up to a sitting position. She had one leg on the floor when her bedroom door burst opened and in came Minako.

Her blonde friend had her long hair up in a messy bun and her hand was clutching the pint of ice cream Makoto had been hoarding away. A spoon was dangling from her mouth as she made her way next to Makoto and sat down.

"Makoto, I'm a wreck!" Minako wailed after she had shoveled another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.

Makoto tried to remain calm, but her frantic heart was likely to give her away. "You scared the living shit out of me, Minako! How did you get in here?" Makoto nervously played with her still damp hair.

"Your spare key, duh! Now pay attention, I'm having a crisis!" Minako shoveled more ice cream in her mouth before dramatically setting it on Makoto's nightstand.

Makoto rolled her eyes. "You're late, is what you are." _Thank god_, she added to herself. Any earlier and Minako would have walked into a very awkward and revealing situation.

Minako just waved her comment away. "I texted you. What are you doing?" Minako asked suspiciously, her eyes narrowing at Makoto. Makoto had gotten up and grabbed her beloved ice cream, intending to lead Minako away from her bedroom and the still showering Neven.

"Um, putting this away since you seem to be done? It's making a sticky mess on my nightstand." Makoto feigned exasperation.

"Leave it," Minako commented airily, "I'm more important right now." Minako tugged on Makoto's arm, who bit her lip but let Minako pull her back down onto her bed. With how warm her room still was, that ice cream was going to make a huge mess. Granted that was probably the least of Makoto's worries right now.

Minako laid her head on Makoto's lap. Makoto watched as Minako's bubbly, overdramatic persona slipped off, revealing the weary young woman underneath. "It's really hot in your apartment. No wonder you're prancing around in nothing." Minako poked Makoto's bare leg teasingly.

"What's wrong, Minako?" Makoto asked, noting the melancholy voice her friend had spoken in. She gently tugged Minako's hair lose and ran her fingers through Minako's lemon blonde locks. Minako sighed, her cool breath hitting Makoto's bare thighs. Makoto struggled to remain in the present as Minako's breath reminded her of Neven and ice cubes and what he'd done…

Minako's voice snapped her out of her memories and Makoto felt herself flush in embarrassment. "What?" Her voice came out breathy and Makoto cleared her throat before trying again. "Speak up. I can barely hear you since you're practically speaking to my crotch."

Minako giggled. "I asked you if the universe was looking down on me and laughing."

"Why's that?"

"Because! I'm supposed to be the senshi of love and my love life has always been a mess! It's like some sick joke! Whenever I try to grasp some semblance of what love is; it slips past my fingers!" Minako had abandoned her post on Makoto's lap. She stared at Makoto with a sad look, her normally bright cornflower blue eyes dull. "Kunzite, Ace, all those random guys I didn't even bother to remember their names, and now Kaiden."

Makoto's pulse quickened at the mention of the shitennou, her eyes shifting to her bathroom door and then back at Minako. "What about Kaiden?" Makoto asked, a little distracted. Had Neven turned off the shower after hearing Minako's voice?

"He's…we're…it's…Ugh, I don't know what we are!" Minako stomped off the bed, frustration evident as she paced around the room. Makoto eyed her friend with an annoying gnawing feeling in her stomach. Minako was making her antsy.

"Hey Makoto?"

"Hmm?" Makoto watched as Minako stopped pacing, her eyes staring intently at the floor. When Minako looked back up at her, there was a wide grin on her face and a wicked glint to her eyes.

"Is that men's clothes I see?" Minako asked slyly.

Makoto froze, her eyes glancing to the floor. From her position on the bed, she couldn't make out what had caught Minako's eyes. "Um, what?" She asked weakly. She couldn't remember where Neven had tossed his clothes.

"Come to think of it, the shower was running when I got here, and yet you were in your room fully clothed when I came in." Minako stood with her arms crossed, smiling like the Cheshire cat.

Makoto couldn't help it. Her traitorous eyes peered at the bathroom door before she could stop herself. She watched, as if in slow motion, Minako bolt to the bathroom door. Makoto jumped out of bed, attempting to tackle Minako before she opened the door.

"Minako! Don't!" She shouted as she wrapped her arms around Minako's legs. Minako had reached the bathroom's door handle, so when Makoto's body collided with hers, the momentum pushed the door open, and with it, both women flew in. They went sprawling over each other, landing on the tiled floor in a mess of limbs.

Neven stood a little over them in only a towel wrapped around his lower half. He had an amused grin on his face as he eyed them both. Makoto's face felt like it was on fire.

"Oh hello Neven. Fancy seeing you here." Minako smirked wide at them, as if she wasn't currently laying on the floor with Makoto half on top of her.

"You know, I normally don't like sharing Makoto. But for you, I'll make an exception," Neven teased.

"Neven!" Makoto spluttered.

Minako laughed. "Don't get your panties in a bunch, Makoto. It's not like he suggested a threesome."

"I wouldn't be opposed to one." Neven smiled devilishly.

Minako burst into a fit of laughter, tears streaming out of her eyes. "You guys sure know how to cheer a girl up," Minako finally said after calming down.

Makoto groaned. "You guy's are ridiculous!" She got up and pulled Minako along with her. "Come on, help me make dinner. You can finish up telling me about Kaiden."

"Or, you can tell me how this happened." Minako wiggled her finger at them both.

"Sorry, we don't kiss and tell," Neven answered as he followed them both out to the bedroom.

"Ah, well, sorry to burst your bubble, Neven, but by the next girl's only brunch, we'll know all about your dirty little bed secrets. Like your O-face." Minako winked at him.

"Minako!" Makoto and Neven both shouted, tinges of red marring both their cheeks. Minako just laughed as she made her way to the kitchen.

* * *

><p>And there you have it! Hope you enjoyed it! Comment back what you think! Also, I have two little one-shots centered around MinakoKunzite I've been working on. So don't fret, they'll get their dues! The stories will definitely be a lot shorter than this one. This one turned into a behemoth. It seems I'm incapable of writing shorties, so I made it a goal with the Minako/Kunzite one (also why I'm giving them two, to be fair).

I've also been mulling over this grand idea I've had to commemorate the Sailor Moon reboot. Since the original came out in the 90s, I was thinking about taking those awesome pop songs from the 90s/ early 2000s era and writing a story about each couple inspired by one of those songs! I've got an idea for Ami's already, but if you'd like to suggest some of your favorite songs of that era, please comment with what you think! I'd love to get feedback on it!


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